The New Orleans Saints have a lot of new faces dotting their coaching staff on both sides of the ball, and we'll have to wait and see what that produces on the field.
But one person already familiar with Kellen Moore and a good number of his coaching hires is NFL analyst Mark Schlereth, who joined WWL Radio to dive in on the topic.
"I’ve been in contact with [new Saints OC Doug] Nussmeier, pretty much the whole staff," Schlereth said. "So, really excited for those guys to get their opportunity. I know how tough this league is to turn programs around, but those guys are great dudes and I think the guys will really enjoy playing for those dudes."
One of the reasons Schlereth is so familiar with Kellen Moore's staff is its connections to the state of Idaho. Schlereth was a player at the University of Idaho from 1984-'88, where he was a teammate of new Saints assistant Scott Linehan. Nussmeier and returning RBs coach Joel Thomas are also former Idaho Vandals, and Moore starred as a quarterback at nearby Boise State.
"You’ve got to do something to balance out the stupidity of the Boise State guy," Schlereth joked, "so you’ve got to get a bunch of Idaho guys on your roster to make sure things get done the right way."
Related
Schlereth was playing on the defensive side of the ball in college and credits Linehan with convincing him to shift back to the offensive side, where he was able to carve out a 12-year NFL career as an offensive lineman.
"I’m really happy for all those guys, you know, and listen, the bottom line is Linny, he was a great quarterback for us, a great coordinator," Schlereth continued, "he was a head coach in this league and he just really understands offense and he really gets it."
The Saints also made a massive overhaul on the defensive side of the ball, and while the roots don't trace back to the state of Idaho, Schlereth is equally optimistic about what new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley can bring to the Saints despite a disappointing 3-year stint as the head coach of the Chargers.
"I think he got a little out of whack as a head coach, trying to go for it in every situation, lead the league in 4th down conversions and all that stuff and got himself into some trouble doing that, but I really liked him as a D-coordinator," Schlereth said. "I liked his philosophical approach. He’s very much out of the Vic Fangio phase of defenses and so that’s kind of one of his mentors and always thought he did a really good job when he was a coordinator, you know, in Los Angeles with Sean McVay.”